Ridge Estate Three Valleys 2024

There is an exuberance to the 2024 Three Valleys, but beneath all that ripe Sonoma fruit sits the structure and savoury detail that makes Ridge so distinctive. Black raspberry, cherry and blackberry lead initially, followed by liquorice, black tea, cedar and a flicker of peppery spice. The palate is generous without becoming heavy, with juicy dark fruit meeting fresh acidity and supple tannins. American oak contributes touches of vanilla and spice, while Carignane brings brightness and Petite Sirah adds colour and backbone. The finish is long, spicy and appetising, with dark berries, herbs and liquorice lingering after the fruit.

Three Valleys is unusual within the Ridge portfolio: rather than expressing one vineyard, it brings together fruit from ten sites across Sonoma County. The 2024 blend is 67% Zinfandel, 17% Carignane, 8% Petite Sirah, 5% Alicante Bouschet and 3% Mataro. Grapes are hand harvested and fermented with native yeasts before twelve months in American oak, only 19% of which is new. It makes for a particularly compelling introduction to the Ridge style – unmistakably Californian in its generosity, but with freshness, restraint and complexity well beyond the everyday Zinfandel blend. Ridge suggests it will continue developing over the next five years.